After-school clubs man jailed over child pornography

A MAN who ran after-school clubs in Cranleigh has been jailed for 36 weeks for downloading multiple child pornography images on his laptop.

A MAN who ran after-school clubs in Cranleigh has been jailed for 36 weeks for downloading multiple child pornography images.

Sean Girdlestone, of no fixed address, was found guilty following his trial last month on 11 counts of downloading and five of possessing indecent images of children.

The 32-year-old ran after-school and lunchtime clubs in an annexe on the grounds of Cranleigh CofE Primary School, through his company Cranfolders Childcare.

However, when police searched his home in September 2010, they found his laptop had been used to download hundreds of pornographic images of young boys, while email conversations suggested a fetish for photographs of children's feet.

Throughout the trial he insisted that someone else must have downloaded the images onto his laptop, either at the school or remotely over the internet.

On Thursday (January 18), Guildford Crown Court heard Girdlestone's career was "finished" and he had lost his accommodation as a result of the court case, but that he still disputed the charges.

Domonic Cox, defending, said: "His life has changed, maybe forever. His career is really finished.

"He was a hard worker, it seems, and has always been someone involved in the caring world. From the age of 11 he was involved with the Red Cross."

Mr Cox said that, during the trial proceedings, Girdlestone had even stopped to give first aid to someone after a road accident near the court buildings, and had been thanked for his actions.

"It is a very difficult and bleak picture for him," he added. "This has had an enormous impact on his life.

"Whatever he says happened, he is anxious to never be in a situation again where an allegation could be made against him."

Sentencing, Judge Neil Stewart said: "Your personal history is that you have never been in trouble with the police before."

He added: "There is some concern that you were committing these offences while you were working with children."

Girdlestone was sentenced to 36 weeks in prison for each of the counts, the terms to run concurrently.

He was also disqualified from working with children, and was made the subject of a 10-year sexual offences prevention order that restricts his access to the internet and forbids him from contacting or living in the same house as boys under the age of 16.

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She has been editorial director of the online and print titles in Surrey and north-east Hampshire since 2007. Marnie previously worked at the BBC as a producer for 5 Live, having moved to national radio from BBC Sussex and Surrey.